By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter

                Bronson town officials are in discussions with the county about possibly moving Bronson Town Hall to what is now the Levy County Development Department office along U.S. 27A.

            The historic Jackson house, former home of Dr. James Middleton and his wife, Mary Glenn (Shands) Jackson, currently serves as Bronson Town Hall a stone’s throw from the development department office.

            County officials are remodeling a portion of the Levy County Government Center to serve as the new home of the development department. When the move is accomplished, the question is whether the town can negotiate with the county for the building.

            The subject surfaced at the Nov. 28 Bronson Town Council meeting during discussions about replacing the wooden deck boards on the back porch and handicap ramp at the back of the current Town Hall.

            The city’s low bidder for replacing the deck and ramp boards is $9,500 from Williams Services of Chiefland.

            Mayor Robert Partin said the city is on hold waiting to see where the county stands on working with the town on the subject of making the development department building the new Town Hall.

            “They have to make a decision,” he said. “We have communicated to them whether they want to do something with that property. I mentioned that we would be interested in talking to them about it.”

            Despite the historic character of the Jackson House, it is perched atop a hill. When it was moved from its original site – what is now the Drummond Community Bank property – it was placed on the sand hill, apparently with little thought of handicap accessibility.

            It is impossible for wheelchairs and people with walkers to enter the front of the building. It requires climbing a steep incline to get to the front door. The handicap ramp at the back of the building isn’t an easy climb either.

            The council has talked about what possibly could be done to make the building more accessible for handicapped people and the elderly but never came to a solution. The building is at the top of a sand hill and that won’t change.

            The development department building was once home to a savings and loan company many years ago. The front doors are more accessible to handicapped people. A few modifications could probably make the front doors handicap accessible.

            It could be a while before the county commission makes a decision on the building. The development department has to move out first. The county could put the building on the market, which was the original plan.

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Town of Bronson Regular Meeting November 28, 2022; December 5, 2022